Sexting has become an issue. It is sad but we all saw this coming. With new technology come new problems which bring new laws which bring division among lawmakers.
For those unaware of the term, “Sexting “is basically text messaging racy or nude images and or content to another person. It is illegal and teenagers are facing some serious charges. One Ohio seventeen year old who sent nude pictures to her ex-boyfriend may be convicted of child-pornography charges. If convicted she would be a registered sex offender for the next 20 years.
Some blame the parents, some blame technology. How is the state of Vermont handling this? They simply want to make, “sexting” legal. Either way, it is a big issue that is getting attention.
The simple solution is to limit cell phone and internet use to teens but this puts the responsibility on potentially irresponsible parents. Cell phone companies could refuse to sell multimedia packages to teenagers but then they would lose business. Plus this would punish all teenagers when the problem thus far is isolated to about 20%.
Once again the world is screaming for parents to step up and be parents. Thirteen year old kids do not need unlimited access to the internet via a mobile devise. It has been proven that most teenagers, when left to do whatever they want with no accountability or parenting, will get into trouble.
It is a tragedy that sexting has to even become an option.
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Albert Einstein
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/states/vermont/2009-04-12-2912877058_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2009-03-11-sexting_N.htm
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3 comments:
Hey David. Personally I fail to see how a minor sending prurient images to another minor constitutes "child pornography" any more than sex between minors constitutes pedophilia.
Child pornography is a matter of consent and coercion. This is why child pornography is bad is because it abuses individuals who are socially or legally subordinate to other individuals and cannot necessarily consent or even withdraw their consent if they could.
You quote Einstein. In response, I quote Sagan, "Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species-- back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire-- has been ethically ambiguous."
So why the "lovejoy gambit?" (see For The Children Wiki Entry)
If anything, teens should be given unfettered access to information (read: The Internet) in the same manner in which adults are. I mean it. Nothing magical happens at eighteen years of age that necessarily prepares one for information a person could or could not have necessarily received earlier.
The more we Americans get riled up about sex the more it becomes an issue. It's a self-sustaining echo chamber.
After facing issues just like this in the public school system, I will say that this issue is very deeply rooted. I totally agree with your call to the parents, a child (let us not forget, we are talking about children) should have a stronger structure in their lives and choose not to demoralize themselves ... for anything or anyone.
There will always be the steps out to be more mature and different than those generations before the current set of teenagers. There will be things that make parents cringe, but the teenager will grow past it. How will these kids feel 10 years from now in college, in relationships, in the true adult world -- knowing that these pictures and memories are out there?
Great post, friend.
If my son, after becoming a teenager, receives nude pictures of a female on his phone, I'm going after her. And I will know if it happens because I will monitoring it closely.
Dean. Really? Do you really believe that teenagers are able to responsibly manage unfettered access to information. Adults aren't even able to handle that without getting themselves in trouble. Lets love and support teenagers by protecting them as long as we can - even if 18 isn't the magic number.
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